The invention generally relates to a towing device for vehicles, particularly passenger cars, having a releasable ball neck and more particularly to a catching device for providing a defined fall course for the ball neck in the event of its release and for operatively disengaging the ball neck from the towing device if a weight greater than the weight of the ball neck is present upon its release while still retaining the ball neck.
In a known towing device of the initially mentioned type (DE-OS 32 38 094), the ball neck is released by means of remote control. This device has the disadvantage that the ball neck, which has a relatively high weight, after the release, falls downward unhindered and may damage the ground or the floor area, unless it is held in position by a second person.
In order to avoid this circumstance, it is known from DE-OS 35 41 714, to provide a catching device for the releasably fastened ball neck at a towing device for a passenger car, so that the ball neck can cover only a defined falling distance. This catching device consists of a barb, which is mounted at the receiving part and which cooperates with a hook element provided at the ball neck. This device has the disadvantage that expensive measures must be carried out for producing a catching device, particularly at the ball neck, resulting in a significant increase in manufacturing costs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a catching device for a towing device which, while it functions well and has a simple construction, can be produced in a cost-effective way.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a towing device adapted to ensure that it is impossible to accidentally hitch a trailer to the released ball neck or to actually drive away with the towing device in this released position.
According to the invention, these and other objects are achieved by constructing the catching device so that the ball neck is retained unless a weight, in addition to the weight of the ball neck, is present upon its release in which case, the ball neck is operatively disconnected from the towing device but still retained by the catching device.
The main advantages achieved by means of the invention are that the catching device, which includes only an additional catch hook and the transversely extending pin, which is present at the ball neck anyhow, has a simple construction and requires low manufacturing costs. By means of the swivelling construction of the lower part of the catch hook, it is ensured that, when the ball neck is released, no trailer can be coupled to it, since otherwise the ball neck together with the trailer tilts away downward and the ball neck is operatively disconnected from the towing device but still retained by the catching device. The catch hook is an easily manufacturable and easily mountable component. By means of the hook portions at the lower part of the catch hook, the ball neck, which falls down during the release, is accommodated securely, before it comes in contact with the ground unless a weight, in addition to the weight of the ball neck, is present.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.